kscarbel2

Two VA Tech college students charged in murder of 13-year-old girl Reuters / January 31, 2016 Two Virginia Tech engineering students were in jail on Sunday, one charged with abducting and killing a 13-year-old girl and the other accused of helping to dispose of the teenager's body, police said. The arrests came after police, following an extensive four-day search, on Saturday found the remains of Nicole Lovell in North Carolina, about 90 miles south of Blacksburg, Virginia, where her home and the university are located. Lovell had been missing from her family's home since Wednesday. A family member said it appeared she had climbed out a first-floor window. How she crossed paths with David E. Eisenhauer, 18, a freshman from Columbia, Maryland, and member of the university's cross county team, is not clear. But police in Blacksburg, about 40 miles west of Roanoke, Virginia, said investigators had determined the two teens became acquainted prior to her disappearance. Police say Eisenhauer took advantage of that relationship to abduct and kill Lovell. Police have not said how Lovell died. Eisenhauer was arrested at his campus residence on Saturday, first charged with abduction and then accused of murder after Lovell's remains were discovered near a highway in Surry County, North Carolina. Natalie Marie Keepers, 19, a sophomore at Virginia Tech from Laurel, Maryland, was arrested on Sunday and charged with improper disposal of a dead body and accessory after the fact in the commission of a felony. "I'm so in shock I know nothing more to say," the girl's father, David Lovell, said. "I'm broken!" Family members had pleaded for Nicole Lovell's return, saying she was without the prescription medicine she needed daily after undergoing a liver transplant. Authorities said the investigation was ongoing as they worked to piece together the timeline of events leading to Lovell's death. .

Some early R-models were not equipped with a muffler. Remember, in those days, the turbocharger was accepted as a muffling device, and the Garrett AiResearch turbochargers had a metal tag stating so.

Reuters / January 29, 2016 An EgyptAir mechanic whose cousin joined ISIS in Syria is suspected of planting a bomb on the Russian passenger plane that was blown out of Egypt's skies in late October after takeoff from Sharm el-Sheikh airport. All 224 people on board were killed. The mechanic had been detained, along with two airport policemen and a baggage handler suspected of helping him put the bomb on board. After learning that one of its members had a relative that worked at the airport, ISIS delivered a bomb in a handbag to that person. The suspect's cousin joined ISIS in Syria a year and a half ago. He was told to not ask any questions and get the bomb on the plane. Two policemen are suspected of playing a role by turning a blind eye to the operation at a security checkpoint. But there is a possibility that they were just not doing their jobs properly.

Near Seneca on Hwy 395, between the towns of Burns and John Day (http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user92183/imageroot/2016/01/OregonMap_0.png)

The Scania philosophy is to listen to the customer and provide him/her with the most profitable business solution. If the Mack dealer body demands their own brand proprietary cab, and provides a convincing argument, Martin Lundstedt will give it full consideration. Likewise for making the 16.4-liter Scania V-8 a factory option.

In 1999, Volvo wanted to merge with Scania. It made sense from a business point, however European authorities felt it would create an unacceptable monopoly in some markets. Failing to get approval, Volvo instead acquired Renault's truck unit (RVI) and hence Mack Trucks ! Now as you all know, Volkswagen is in deep trouble. They need an estimated US$48 billion to pay the consequences of their emissions cheating software scandal in the US market alone. Altogether, it could cost them around US$90 billion. And they don't have it. After groveling to no less then 13 banks, all they could get was US$21.1 billion. VW needs to sell something of value that they'd be willing to part with. Nobody will buy Bentley, Ducati or Lamborghini in a down economy. Nobody will buy a money loser like SEAT. And they can't entice anyone to buy MAN because, like the VW brand, it's barely profitable. Logically speaking, the only business unit that VW could/would part with that can yield the money they desperately need is (drum roll here)............Scania. There is the distinct possibility that previous Scania stockholders, Investor AB and/or the Wallenbergs, would buy Scania back. In that case, Martin Lundstedt would certainly explore finding synergies between the two companies. When it comes to engines, Martin knows first-hand that Scania designs the most advanced powertrains in the world. Meanwhile, the Volvo engines are aging.......ongoing tweaks are having less effect. There's also the possibility that Volvo, supported by its investors, would buy Scania from Volkswagen, pending regulatory approval. That would result in a marriage bringing Scania's leading edge expertise to Volvo [and economy of scale], including the legendary V-8, superb Scania transmissions and [Mack-like] Scania drive axles.

ABC News / January 28, 2016 The FBI released a video late Thursday showing the fatal confrontation between one of the Oregon militia members who was occupying a federal wildlife refuge and officers. The footage, which came from an FBI plane, showed officers in pursuit of a truck with several people in it, including the group's spokesman Robert 'LaVoy' Finicum. At one point, the truck weaves around a roadblock and gets stuck in a snowbank and agents give commands for nearly four minutes of the occupants to surrender, the FBI said. According to Greg Bretzing, the Special Agent in Charge of FBI Oregon, Finicum got out of the vehicle and reached his right hand towards a pocket on the inside of his jacket, where he had a loaded 9mm gun. He was shot at that point. The FBI said it issued aid to Finicum and found three other loaded weapons inside [the vehicle]. (The Ammons clan lied to the media about the men being unarmed. Every picture of these self-proclaimed militiamen from the beginning showed them with weapons at their side, so it’s to be expected that they were in fact armed.) According to the FBI, one person left Malheur Wildlife Refuge through a checkpoint Thursday morning. Four others remained. The release of the video came as new details emerged about the arrests that were made in the case as the standoff continues. Authorities had been waiting for the leaders of the occupation to leave the federal facilities, and on Tuesday were told that some members would be on the move. Two vehicles with nine militia-related individuals inside were identified and pulled over. Authorities got out of their vehicles to make arrests, when one of the suspects’ vehicles -- a full sized four-door truck -- sped away. But authorities had already set up a roadblock to stop any escape. The driver of the speeding truck apparently saw the roadblock at the last minute, veering off the road and hitting a snow bank. Finicum exited the truck and was told to surrender. He was moving his hands up and down, but he was not complying. At some point, Finicum was seen reaching for his waistband, which was viewed by officers as a threat. Another source said that Finicum was seen reaching for a gun multiple times. That was when officers fired at Finicum. The shooting was caught on tape by a law enforcement camera.

Transport Engineer / January 28, 2016 Two Scania R490 6x4 tractors, each with Palfinger PK88002EH cranes – the first of their type to be installed and operated in the UK – have joined Galt Transport’s 24-strong fleet of crane- and loader-mounted artics and rigids. Fitted by Outreach, in Falkirk, the cranes have five boom extensions and can deliver a maximum lift and reach capacity of 15 tonnes at 5m and 5.4 tonnes at 13.3m, making them the company’s highest capacity units. The Scania R490 6x4 tractor units were specified with a 3.5m wheelbase and full air suspension. They take Scania’s 490bhp power plant driving through the three-pedal versions of Scania’s Opticruise AMT (automated manual transmission). “This gearbox option gives us the fuel efficiency of an automatic while also giving our operators the low-speed manoeuvring control of a manual transmission,” explains Galt. “This drive train has proven its worth already with nine of our current fleet being equipped with it,” he adds. The vehicles have been plated at 80 tonnes gross weight but operations director Andrew Galt says they will primarily be operating at 44 tonnes under C&U (Construction and Use) regulations. Both trucks were supplied by Reliable Vehicles, Renfrew (Scania Truck and Bus). Galt Transport runs a fleet of 53 trucks and more than 100 trailers from a range of manufacturers. The company also offers storage facilities and a driver training school. Palfinger PK88002EH cranes: https://static.palfinger.com/medias/sys_master/root/8801061535774.pdf https://www.palfinger.com/en-US/can/products/knuckle-boom-cranes/PK+88002-EH_S511-SK-D?page=5&ref=1 .

Take a 1905 prototype Fiat chain-drive race car, add a water-cooled World War One 16.5-liter (1,014 cu.in.) Isotta-Fraschini aircraft engine rated at 250 horsepower (@1650rpm) and 3,000 N.m (820 lb/ft) of torque, and voila............................

Car & Driver / January 28, 2016 Ford made some pretty decisive moves with the development of its 2014 F-150 pickup, touting its aluminum construction and twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6 engines as the fully modern combo to beat in power and efficiency for half-ton pickups. But when the inevitable questions about the “D” word—as in diesel engines—entered the discussion, the manufacturer had little to say. Now we’ve snagged a video of an F-150 undergoing testing near Detroit, and the sound emanating from it is pure, unadulterated, compression-ignition music to our ears. Speculation about a diesel-powered F-150 half-ton pickup has been rampant, even though Ford has repeatedly denied reports. Citing the steeper initial price point of a diesel truck and the higher cost of diesel fuel, Ford brass steadfastly maintained that a diesel half-ton just doesn’t pencil favorably for the average consumer. Meanwhile, the team over Ram popped the corporate 3.0-liter turbocharged EcoDiesel V-6 under the hood of its Ram 1500 half-ton and proceeded to sell them by, well, the truckload, despite the diesel’s commanding up to a nearly $5K premium—depending on powertrain and options—over a gas-powered Ram. With the viability of the business plan now confirmed, it’s only logical that Ford would realign itself to get its part. Ford has a few options as far as diesel power goes. The truck in the video above displays a very faint compression-ignition clatter and an unmistakable turbo “whoosh” under acceleration, and given its cadence at idle, we’re inclined to think this F-150 is running a version of the 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V-6 developed jointly a while ago by Ford and PSA Peugeot-Citroën. Internally known as the “Lion,” the engine already is in use stateside in the Rover Rover and Range Rover Sport, so much of the certification work may already be out of the way. Producing 254 horsepower and 440 lb-ft of torque, the “Lion” engine would edge out the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel’s 240 and 420 numbers, and that’s before any tweaking by Ford engineers. To ensure maximum efficiency and the best possible fuel-economy numbers, we expect Ford to mate the new diesel to the company’s new 10-speed automatic transmission. If Ford were to err on the side of sensibility—we’re talking trucks here, so that’s hardly a given—the 3.2-liter turbocharged inline five-cylinder diesel currently available in the Transit van would also be an option. Although it makes only 185 horsepower, it produces a truck-worthy 350 lb-ft of torque in the Transit application, certainly enough for work vehicles and fleet applications. Either way, with signs pointing in the direction of a diesel F-150, we expect Ford to make an official announcement sooner than later, likely in time for the 2017 model year.

Ford preparing diesel-powered F-150 Automotive News / January 28, 2016 Ford Motor Co. appears to be gearing up to launch a diesel-powered version of the F-150, possibly as early as next year, and wrest the fuel efficiency crown from the hot-selling Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. Diesel-powered F-150 test trucks have been spotted running around Ford’s product development center in Dearborn, Mich. Land Rover’s decision to equip its Range Rover and Range Rover Sport SUVs with a Ford-built, 3.0-liter diesel engine also bodes well for a diesel-powered F-150. Ford spokesman Mike Levine declined to comment on Ford’s future products, but Dave Sullivan, an analyst for consulting firm AutoPacific, says Ford’s product plans call for a diesel-powered F-150 teamed with a new 10-speed automatic transmission co-developed by Ford and General Motors. It could launch as a 2017 model, he says. “A diesel F-150, with its lightweight body and 10-speed automatic, would have all of the necessary hardware to win the fuel economy race,” said Sullivan. When the redesigned, aluminum-bodied F-150 arrived in late 2014, the fuel economy ratings disappointed many consumers and analysts who expected the lightweight truck to be the most fuel efficient in the segment. The most fuel-efficient F-150 is powered by a 2.7-liter V-6 that carries a 19 mpg city and 26 mpg highway EPA fuel economy rating. Ram’s EcoDiesel 1500 carries a 29 mpg highway rating. The Ram EcoDiesel has been a big success for Fiat Chrysler, accounting for 15 percent of Ram 1500 sales in the U.S. The diesel engine likely to go in the F-150 is a 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V-6 made in Ford’s Dagenham, England plant. It traces its roots to 1999 and a deal Ford made with French manufacturer Peugeot. Part of the Lion engine family co-developed by Peugeot and Ford, the V-6 diesel, originally 2.7 liters, has been used in Peugeots, Jaguars, Land Rovers and the Ford Territory, an off-road vehicle made in Australia. The newest diesel-powered Range Rovers offer a good indication of the power, performance and fuel economy an F-150 with the same engine would offer. In its current state of tune in the Range Rover Sport, the 3.0-liter V-6 develops 254 hp and delivers 440 pounds-feet of torque at 1,750 rpm. The 4,727-pound Range Rover Sport carries an EPA fuel economy rating of 22 city/29 highway. It uses an eight-speed automatic. The 2016 F-150 Lariat Crew Cab weighs 4,942 pounds, and its aerodynamic performance would be comparable to the Range Rover’s. The Ram EcoDiesel is rated at 240 hp and 420 pounds-feet of torque at 2,000 rpm, suggesting the Ford 3.0-liter diesel could be installed in the F-150 with little modification. “I am sure federalizing the engine and sourcing common parts helps bring the cost down,” said Sullivan. He thinks Ford could easily sell around 45,000 diesel-powered F-150s per year. Ford says the F-150 has been the nation’s top-selling vehicle for 34 years and top truck for 39 years. If Ford does launch a diesel-powered F-150, it will be closing a gap in its light-duty truck lineup, as Ram, Chevrolet and GMC sell light-duty diesel trucks and Nissan just launched a diesel on the Titan. “Ford offers customers a wide range of engines in the F-150, from EcoBoost to V-8 with compressed natural gas and propane capability,” said Levine. “We will always offer our customers that power of choice. However, we do not speculate about future products.” http://www.autonews.com/article/20160128/OEM04/160129849/ford-aiming-for-pickup-fuel-economy-crown-preps-diesel-powered-f-150 http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/43160-ford-finally-puts-its-30-v-6-diesel-in-the-f-150/#comment-316241

The Wall Street Journal / January 28, 2016 The carrier bucked an industry trend with a 12% increase in fourth-quarter net income, due in part to strong performance in brokerage business Werner Enterprises Inc. closed out 2015 with a jump in profit despite weak market conditions, underscoring the benefits that trucking companies can gain from mixed business models. Werner said Thursday that its fourth quarter income rise 12% from a year earlier to $36.6 million. The company added 400 vehicles to its fleet of over 7,000 trucks, lowering the average age of its trucks and allowing the company to “better manage maintenance and safety costs,” Werner said in its earnings report. Company executives said the hefty investment in new trucks is part of an effort to recruit more drivers and help reduce turnover , which can raise costs. The Omaha, Neb.-based company, one of the largest in the U.S. providing full truckload service for shippers, also has a division that includes freight management, truck brokerage and other services. Operating income from the division jumped 84% to $4.4 million, helping Werner’s bottom line amid weaker-than-expected freight demand, rising driver pay and reduced fuel surcharge revenue. Diversification “is one of the advantages to having a non-asset based business in addition to your asset-based business,” said Donald Broughton, analyst at Avondale Partners LLC. Werner’s profit increase is a good reflection of the company’s management through a challenging year for trucking companies, Mr. Broughton said. “Having a well-developed brokerage business allows you to better manage the market conditions.” Still, the company warned of challenging market conditions ahead. “We are continuing to work with our customers to recoup the cost increases associated with more expensive equipment, a shrinking supply of qualified drivers and an increasingly challenging regulatory environment,” the company said.

The Wall Street Journal / January 28, 2016 With uneven demand squeezing profits, truckers are focusing on efficiency and conserving cash rather than bulking up fleets Large U.S. trucking companies are ratcheting back expansion plans after declining freight volumes cut into fourth-quarter profits. The lower earnings reported by half a dozen carriers this week confirmed that companies were weighed down late last year by uneven retail sales, high inventory levels and a manufacturing slowdown. Based on their 2016 guidance, they expect more of the same over the next few months. Trucking companies say they’re preparing for a prolonged downturn by reducing investments in their fleets. Their goal is to avoid creating a glut of trucking capacity, which would give shippers more power to negotiate lower prices for moving their goods, further squeezing carriers’ profits. That is a dramatic shift from even a few months ago, when many carriers were set on bulking up, and swapping out older vehicles for new, more fuel-efficient models. But with freight volumes and pricing falling, trucking companies need to conserve cash. “The large carriers…one thing we see in common is that fleet additions in that group have ended, and the outlook is basically to be flat,” said David Jackson, chief executive at Knight Transportation Inc., in a conference call with analysts after releasing earnings Wednesday. “Even the best operators have gone backwards a little bit. And I would add us to that group.” Knight reported a 11% drop in net income from trucking last quarter, though earnings of $0.36 a share were above most forecasts. The company said it would stop expanding its fleet, and cut its 2016 earnings guidance. Also Wednesday, Celadon Group Inc. reported a 22% drop in fourth-quarter net profit from a year earlier. Heartland Express Inc. said Tuesday net profit fell 21% over the same period. Swift Transportation Co. , which halted fleet expansion last fall, earlier than many of its competitors, said profits rose slightly in the fourth quarter. Many Wall Street analysts had anticipated larger profit declines, and trucking shares rallied on hopes that the industry’s biggest players will be able to weather a downturn without being forced to sell off assets or take other drastic steps. That contrasts with freight railroads, which have slashed thousands of jobs after profits were hit by a steep drop in coal and oil shipments. Industry figures show businesses started dialing back fleet expansion last fall as retailers reported they were overstocked and the freight market weakened. In December, trucking companies ordered 27,800 big rigs, down 37% from a year earlier, though up from November, according to research group FTR. Truck orders had surged in late 2014 and early 2015. The trucking companies said they have focused on making their operations more efficient. Knight’s operating ratio for its trucking business—the percentage of trucking revenue needed to cover expenses—rose to 80.7% in the fourth quarter, from 77.5% a year ago, as the company’s trucks drove fewer miles. At Celadon, each truck drove an average 1,704 miles a week in the fourth quarter, down from 1,971 miles a year earlier. However, revenue per mile rose to $1.917, from $1.798. “Most of these [trucking] companies are in a decent position,” said Jason Seidl, a transportation analyst with Cowen & Co. “Most larger companies have extremely young fleets and decent balance sheets.” On Thursday, shares in Knight shares were down 4% and Celadon’s stock was off 1%. Swift shares are up 22% in the past week after the company said it could buy back stock. Shares in Covenant Transportation Group Inc., a trucker with many fast-growing e-commerce customers, are up 15% over the same period, despite reporting a slight decline in fourth-quarter profits.

Many here, including myself of course, have voiced your thoughts. I don't live in the past........but I find value in remembering the past, as it so often provides invaluable wisdom in support of my strategy for the present and future truck market. Short of Mack becoming a U.S. company again............at the specific request of Volvo board head Carl-Henric Svanberg, ex-Scania CEO Martin Lundstedt is creating an all-new Volvo. From that, the Mack brand, albeit under Volvo, is being rebooted (as far as Martin Lundstedt is concerned). The current game plan and players aren't working, and the Mack dealer body is telling him, bluntly, how fed up they are. He is charged by the board to make Mack a successful brand. I'm confident that he will.........expect major changes.

Bloomberg / January 29, 2016 General Motors Co. and two car dealers settled U.S. claims that they touted rigorous inspection of used cars, yet were selling vehicles that had been subject to safety recalls and hadn’t been repaired. GM marketed used cars at local dealerships that had open recalls for defects related to ignition switches, power steering, braking and airbag deployment without disclosing the problems, the Federal Trade Commission said in a statement Thursday. “Companies touting the comprehensiveness of their vehicle inspections need to be straight with consumers about safety-related recalls, which can raise major safety concerns,” said Jessica Rich, the head of the FTC’s consumer protection unit. Rich said on a phone call with reporters that the agency would continue to monitor car dealers’ ads. “We do hope these actions send a message to the market as a whole.” Besides GM, the FTC also settled claims against Jim Koons Management, which has 15 dealerships in the mid-Atlantic region, and Lithia Motors, which has more than 100 stores in the West and Midwest. “We made changes to our certified pre-owned marketing program last year to address the FTC’s concerns and we are pleased with the proposed resolution of the matter,” said GM spokesman Jim Cain. Under the settlement, which remains in effect for 20 years, Detroit-based GM and the dealers are prohibited from misrepresenting material facts about the safety of used cars they advertise. They must also inform customers that their vehicles may have an open recall. Although the settlement didn’t include monetary penalties, going forward each violation of the FTC’s orders can result in a fine of up to $16,000. The FTC’s Rich said for a large company with many customers, multiple violations could end up being "a very large number." Auto dealers aren’t required by law to fix safety defects before selling a car. Legislation to make that mandatory was backed by the Obama administration but opposed by the dealers’ trade association and not included in the recently passed measure setting U.S. transportation policy for the next five years. Jim Koons Management said in a statement that it’s not aware of a single customer complaint about its advertising. "We strongly believe we have fully complied with the letter and spirit of the law," the company said. "It has been our policy for many years to rigorously inspect our used vehicles and make recall repairs when possible." The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has called on all auto dealers to voluntarily refrain from selling used cars with unrepaired safety defects. “The Department of Transportation has asked Congress to require used-car dealers to repair vehicles under a safety recall before delivering those vehicles to customers, which would mirror the requirement to remedy new cars before sale,” Mark Rosekind, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said Jan. 21 at the Washington Auto Show. “The department continues to believe this is the right approach.” Dealers have argued that a complete ban on the sale of used cars with open safety recalls would be damaging to consumers because it would reduce the value of their trade-ins. They’ve also said only a small fraction of safety recalls order consumers to stop driving, and that consumers are capable of assessing the risk from a particular safety defect.

Mack should still be an American company. The U.S. government should have disallowed Volvo's purchase of Mack, and supported Mack's survival, just as it has the Big 3 automakers for years. If the Big 3, and the banks on Wall Street, are "too big to fail", then why not America's truck industry that carries our economy on its back 24/7 ??? Having said that, Martin Lundstedt is giving Volvo a total reboot ! The dysfunction Volvo culture of the last couple of decades is being torn up and thrown in the waste basket, and the Scania management philosophy is being introduced. This means the Mack brand, albeit under foreign ownership, has a chance to grow again. I personally believe leadership changes at the Mack brand are a must, in order for the Mack brand to benefit from the new structure. The Mack brand has been given a clean sheet of paper, but the top two cogs...................As Zenon C.R. Hansen would say, "we need to dispense with the present management and get others who know something about trucks!"

ABC News / January 28, 2016 Self-described militiamen Mike McConnell said he was driving a vehicle carrying Ammon Bundy and another occupier, Brian Cavalier. He said Finicum was driving a truck and with him were Ryan Bundy — Ammon's brother — as well as three others. He said the convoy was driving through a forest when they were stopped by agents in heavy-duty trucks. He said agents first pulled him out of the vehicle, followed by Ammon Bundy and Cavalier. When agents approached the truck driven by Filicum, he drove off with officers in pursuit. McConnell said Filicum encountered a roadblock. Filicum got his truck stuck in a snowbank, and Finicum got out and "charged them. He went after them," McConnell said. Relatives of Ammon Bundy offered similar accounts, but they said Finicum did nothing to provoke FBI agents. Briana Bundy, a sister of Ammon Bundy, said he called his wife after his arrest. He said the group was stopped by state and federal officers. She said people in the two vehicles complied with instructions to get out with their hands up. "LaVoy shouted, 'Don't shoot. We're unarmed,' " Briana Bundy said in an interview with The Associated Press. "They began to fire on them. Ammon said it happened real fast." "Ammon said, 'They murdered him in cold blood. We did everything they asked, and they murdered him. We complied with their demands,' " she said. {I believe everyone will learn that Ammon Bundy's version of the event is a falsehood] McConnell had a different perspective. "Any time someone takes off with a vehicle away from law enforcement after they've exercised a stop, it's typically considered an act of aggression, and foolish," he said. McConnell said he was questioned by authorities, and he believes he was not charged because he was not considered a leader of the group. Briana Bundy confirmed that McConnell was in the convoy on Tuesday.

This is the largest development to happen to the Mack name since Volvo acquired it. And yet, very little response from BMT members. Interesting.

Scania Group Press Release / January 26, 2016 Summary of the full year 2015 - Operating income rose by 11 percent to SEK 9,641 m. (8,721 previous) - Net sales rose by 3 percent to record high SEK 94,897 (92,051 previous) - Cash flow amounted to SEK 4,376 m. (4,690 previous) in Vehicles and Services Comments by Henrik Henriksson, President and CEO: Scania’s net sales rose to a record level of SEK 95 billion (US$11.2 billion)) and earnings for the full year 2015 increased to SEK 9.6 billion (US$1.1 billion). Higher vehicle volume in Europe, record high service volume, positive currency rate effects and record earnings from Financial Services were partly offset by lower vehicle volume in Latin America, Eurasia and Asia. Total order bookings for trucks decreased during the fourth quarter, compared to the previous year, due to lower demand in Latin America and Eurasia. In Europe, demand remained high during the fourth quarter. Scania’s position in the European market is strong with a market share of 16.5 percent compared to 15.1 percent in 2014, thanks to a leading Euro 6 range. The continued segment focus and a broad engine range for alternative fuels, also contributed. Demand in Brazil and Russia fell during the fourth quarter compared to the same period 2014 and the outlook remains uncertain. Demand in Asia fell compared to the fourth quarter 2014. Order bookings in Buses and Coaches rose compared to the fourth quarter of the previous year. In Engines, order bookings fell during the fourth quarter compared to the previous year, due to lower demand in Latin America and Asia. Engine deliveries reached an all-time high at 8,485 units in 2015. Scania is continuing its long-term efforts to boost its service business and revenue increased by 9 percent to a new record level of SEK 20.6 billion (US$2.4 billion) during 2015. Scania’s continuing investment in connected vehicles is an important enabler in supporting our customers with more efficient services to further enhance their profitability. Financial Services reported record earnings, with operating income of more than SEK 1 billion (US$117.4 million). Customer payment capacity is still good and credit losses remain at low levels.” Full Report - http://www.scania.com/group/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/01/4693881.pdf

Volvo builds on the truck business Goteborgs-Posten / January 28, 2016 Martin Lundstedt comments on his new changes for Volvo Group. From March 1, Volvo Group is introducing a brand-based organization with clearer commercial accountability for the Group’s various truck brands. Four separate units will be created: Volvo Trucks, UD Trucks, Renault Trucks and Mack Trucks. Each unit will have profit and loss responsibilities, and it also will require group management changes. “Starting from the customer's perspective, it is our brands and the people who work with them, which they do business with. Then we want to ensure our commercial organization for brands with a clear profit responsibility, developing responsibility and increase the opportunity for decentralization and capacity to operate each of the stores. And we have very strong brands,” says Volvo CEO Martin Lundstedt. Volvo Group's truck brands are stronger in different markets. The Volvo and Renault brands are sold in Europe, Volvo and Mack in North America, and UD Trucks in Japan. Question: This means that Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks will fight with each other for market share in Europe? “To begin with, I want to be a little humble and say that our competitors hold a sizeable amount of market share. It's been almost 15 years since Volvo acquired Renault, so we have developed a clear strategy for the various brands and how to be successful. And there is an ability to strengthen both brands in this way. In some cases, it will be that you try to win customers, but there is less risk in relation to the upside as we have,” he says. “Volvo puts a strong focus on local sales and service and it is clearly stated that every truck brand to stand their own feet economically.” “There are both technology, manufacturing and logistics systems where there is a strength in that it is a group and can split expenses, knowledge and technology. And then there is one important part that is local and regional where they do business.” “We're business to business, and sell production and availability, and it is not just a relationship that is about sales. In many cases, you build a lifelong relationship with the customer. And there is a lot that we can take decisions and develop our solutions together with customers and still have the global strength,” says Martin Lundstedt. “I am convinced that this is a better way which will highlight the best of each brand.” How will the changes affect staffing? “There are no plans for it to be some personal effects. It is not that purpose.” Having reached your 100th day as CEO of the Volvo Group, how has it been? “Incredibly fun and inspiring. We have a great bunch of customers and employees. I'm still in the phase when I go to bed at night one feels that it is unnecessary to have to sleep for six hours before getting off and running again.”

Volvo Group to reorganize truck businesses Fleet Owner / January 27, 2016 Volvo Group plans to reorganize its global truck operations into four separate units – Volvo Trucks, UD Trucks, Renault Trucks and Mack Trucks – starting on March 1 this year, giving each profit and loss responsibility while shuffling its executive board to include representatives from those units. “This is an important change in how we conduct our truck business, with an expanded mandate for our sales organizations to control and develop their businesses with an explicit responsibility for profitability and organic growth,” noted Martin Lundstedt, president and CEO of Volvo, in a statement “We will gain a simpler organization in which decisions are made more quickly and in closer cooperation with the customer,” he explained. “Each truck brand will also be represented on the group executive board with shared responsibility for optimizing Volvo Group’s overall truck business.” Lundstedt said those efforts are in response to a “new phase” the company is entering, one demanding “more intense customer focus” plus organic growth and improved profitability. “The goal of the new governance model is for all of the group’s business areas to be driven along the same distinct business principles, whereby each area can follow and optimize its own earnings performance in both the short and long term,” he emphasized; a new direction required after “several years of growth through acquisitions,” followed by major restructuring programs and cost savings, Lundstedt pointed out. He noted that Volvo’s technology and product development organization and production organization for trucks will remain responsible for common development and production, while “specific resources” will be allocated to each brand. At the same time, purchasing for the truck operation will form a separate unit and will join the group executive board, though Lundstedt stressed those moves will “not have any planned effect on the number of employees” within the Volvo Group. “In the short term, this won’t be experienced by customers as a major change here in North America,” John Mies, VP-communications for Volvo Group North America, told Fleet Owner. “Organizationally, it means that Göran Nyberg will continue to lead the North American commercial organization for Volvo Trucks, but will now report to Claes Nilsson, the new global president of Volvo Trucks, rather than to Denny Slagle,” he said. “In the longer term, the reorganization will benefit customers by allowing the Volvo Group to combine the best of two worlds: synergies by having global organizations for manufacturing and product development, combined with clear leadership and responsibility for each brand, to ensure that customer needs are understood throughout the entire organization,” Mies noted. Once the reorganization is complete, Volvo Group will be comprised of 10 total business units: the four aforementioned truck units (Volvo Trucks, UD Trucks, Mack Trucks, and Renault Trucks) along with Value Truck & JV:s, Volvo Construction Equipment, Volvo Buses, Volvo Penta, Governmental Sales and Volvo Financial Services. Volvo’s reshuffled executive board will be eventually comprised of 13 executives, with its “group trucks purchasing” position currently unfilled. Those executives are: Martin Lundstedt, president and CEO Jan Gurander, deputy CEO and CFO Claes Nilsson, Volvo Trucks Joachim Rosenberg, UD Trucks Bruno Blin, Renault Trucks Dennis Slagle, Mack Trucks Martin Weissburg, Volvo CE Torbjörn Holmström, Group Trucks Technology Mikael Bratt, Group Trucks Operations Sofia Frändberg, Group Legal & Compliance Kerstin Renard, Group Human Resources Henry Sténson, Group Communication & Sustainability Affairs

Volvo Group's Lundstedt Reorganizes Company Transport Topics / January 27, 2016 Approximately 100 days into his tenure as CEO of Volvo Group, Martin Lundstedt announced changes in the Sweden-based manufacturer that emphasize brand names over market geography. In a Jan. 27 conference call and press statement, Lundstedt, formerly CEO of Scania Group, said he is creating a “mandate for our sales organizations to control and develop their businesses with an explicit responsibility for profitability and organic growth.” The truck maker’s heavy-duty North American operations, Volvo and Mack Trucks, will be more separate starting March 1. Dennis Slagle will remain a member of Volvo Group’s executive board but only as the head of Mack’s worldwide sales. Slagle has been in charge of Volvo and Mack in North America, with Mack President Stephen Roy and Volvo President Göran Nyberg reporting to him. Slagle and Roy will remain together at Mack, which has headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina, as does Volvo in North America. Nyberg will stay in the United States, and his new boss will be Claes Nilsson, the global chief of Volvo Trucks, based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Group’s two other major truck brands are UD Trucks, originally Nissan Diesel, which no longer builds new vehicles in North America, and Renault Trucks, primarily a European manufacturer. While Volvo Group is emphasizing responsibility for its brand divisions, the company also has three truck group segments that will provide services for the four big brands: technology, purchasing and operations. The company also makes construction equipment, buses and marine and specialty engines. Olof Persson was Volvo Group CEO until April of last year, when he was dismissed by the corporation’s board. Chief Financial Officer Jan Gurander took over on an interim basis, but Lundstedt was picked as the permanent replacement with an October starting date. Reports at the time of Persson’s dismissal said some of Volvo’s major shareholders wanted new management that would streamline operations and increase profits. After 100 days in charge, Lundstedt unveiled his changes and Gurander is CFO and deputy CEO. “We will also make sure that the brands will get the stronger voice in developing and adapting our customer offers when it comes to the product development, but still using the leverage of having a global product development organization," Lundstedt said during the call. "But I also want to be clear here, it means also a very strong responsibility, that each brand will stand on its own commercial and profitability merits going forward, in both the short and the long term.”

Heavy Duty Trucking / January 27, 2016 Fontaine Modification Vocational Services has opened a modification center in Avon Lake, Ohio, to provide modifications for Ford's 2016 F-650 and F-750 medium-duty trucks, including an exclusive tractor package for beverage fleets, the truck upfitter has announced. The center is located in close proximity to the Ohio Assembly Plant where Ford began building the redesigned trucks, after shifting production from Mexico. "Fontaine has put significant effort into developing modifications specifically for the all-new F-650/F-750 platform, including an exclusive tractor package for beverage fleets that we developed in conjunction with our sister company Fontaine Fifth Wheel and Ford Motor Company," says Steve Boyer, president of Fontaine Vocational Services. "Our new Avon Lake location will enable us to complete these modifications efficiently, taking advantage of our ship-through agreement with Ford to provide customers with their vehicles quickly and efficiently." Fontaine will also use the modification center to install all-wheel drive systems, make wheelbase changes and perform CNG tank upfits on the F-650/F-750 trucks. Fontaine has established a ship-through agreement with Ford that eliminates additional shipping costs to fleet customers. Fontaine operates other modification centers in Charlotte, N.C.; Dublin, Va.; Garland, Texas; Springfield, Ohio; and Williamstown, W. Va. .

Volvo Group Press Release / January 27, 2016 The Volvo Group is introducing a brand-based organization with clearer commercial accountability for the Group’s various truck brands. Four separate units will be created: Volvo Trucks, UD Trucks, Renault Trucks and Mack Trucks, each with profit and loss responsibility for their respective business. Volvo’s Group Executive Board will be changed to include representatives from some of the Group’s business areas. “This is an important change in how we conduct our truck business, with an expanded mandate for our sales organizations to control and develop their businesses with an explicit responsibility for profitability and organic growth,” says Martin Lundstedt, President and CEO of Volvo. “We will gain a simpler organization in which decisions are made more quickly and in closer cooperation with the customer, while each truck brand will be represented on the Group Executive Board with shared responsibility for optimizing Volvo Group’s overall truck business.” After several years of growth through acquisitions, followed by major restructuring programs and cost savings, the Volvo Group is now gradually entering a new phase with more intense customer focus and focus on organic growth and improved profitability. “The efforts in recent years to realize synergies between our various brands have yielded results and created the possibility to now make the Volvo Group the most desired transport solution provider in the world,” says Martin Lundstedt. “The goal of the new governance model is for all of the Group’s business areas to be driven along the same distinct business principles, whereby each area can follow and optimize its own earnings performance in both the short and long term.” The Group’s technology and product development organization and production organization for trucks will remain responsible for common development and production. In addition, specific resources will be allocated to each brand. At the same time, purchasing for the truck operation will form a separate unit and will join the Group Executive Board. These organizational changes will not have any planned effect on the number of employees in the Group. The new organization will come into effect on March 1, 2016, when the Volvo Group will comprise ten business areas: Volvo Trucks, UD Trucks, Mack Trucks, Renault Trucks, Value Truck & JV:s, Volvo Construction Equipment, Volvo Buses, Volvo Penta, Governmental Sales and Volvo Financial Services. From March 1, 2016, Volvo’s Group Executive Board will comprise the following members: Martin Lundstedt, President and CEO Jan Gurander, Deputy CEO and CFO Claes Nilsson, Volvo Trucks Joachim Rosenberg, UD Trucks Bruno Blin, Renault Trucks Dennis Slagle, Mack Trucks Martin Weissburg, Volvo CE Torbjörn Holmström, Group Trucks Technology Mikael Bratt, Group Trucks Operations (Under recruitment), Group Trucks Purchasing Sofia Frändberg, Group Legal & Compliance Kerstin Renard, Group Human Resources Henry Sténson, Group Communication & Sustainability Affairs .

I'm glad that someone is preserving the documentation. However, I've never cared for the tone over at the ATHS. Though lacking the ATHS's wealth, the ATCA is a much warmer group of people.